Criteria

We feature websites based on a mix of these qualities:

• Visual design: its design is interesting, distinctive, or unusually well executed, while also maintaining usability. Some of the best designs are sometimes the simplest.
• URL: its URL or domain name is interesting, clever, unusual, or memorable—for example, a distinctive single-word domain such as Friend.com or Robot.com.
• Cultural significance: it documents an important part of internet history or reflects contemporary culture, subcultures, communities, or online discourse.
• Monetization: it experiments with a clever or unusual way to make money online.
• Emerging technology: it meaningfully demonstrates or experiments with an emerging technology.

The museum embraces a diversity of interests and design styles and is always looking for new submissions. The contributers to the museum come from a wide range of geographic, cultural, ethnic, and religious (and non-religious) backgrounds.

Selection ≠ Endorsement

Being featured in the Museum of Websites is not an endorsement of the content, products, services, viewpoints, or safety of the website.

If we featured only things we endorse, this museum would be very small, and it would be a less honest record of the web.

We feature websites belonging to political and religious organizations, public figures, and movements whose ideas we strongly oppose.

The reverse is also true. We may like and admire a person or organization or product, but if its website is boring or poorly designed, we will not feature it unless the design improves or the website becomes culturally significant in its own right.

Viewpoint Diversity

We try to represent opposing political narratives wherever possible.

For example, we feature websites from communist and Marxist organizations because those movements have seen renewed cultural interest and some of their websites have interesting designs. We also feature VictimsOfCommunism.org as a counter-narrative. This issue is also personal: victims of communism include members of the museum founder’s immediate family.

If you think the museum is missing an important counter-narrative for any topic, you are welcome to suggest a website.

Removal Requests

We do not remove an entry simply because someone objects to the person, organization, or viewpoint it represents. We consider removal requests only when legally required.